


A Star for Wishing

by butterflydreaming (chrysalisdreams)



Category: Cardcaptor Sakura
Genre: F/M, M/M, Sort of a crossover but not enough for the category, every wish has a price, minor character points of view, seriously trying to write SyaoSaku
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-12
Updated: 2015-06-14
Packaged: 2018-04-03 20:40:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4114227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chrysalisdreams/pseuds/butterflydreaming
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happened in the Cardcaptor Sakura canon world around the events of Tsubasa Reservoir Chronical (chapter 217) when Sakura Kinomoto pays for someone else's wish?</p><p>Sakura's invincible spell may be that everything will turn out alright, but even a happy ending has its costs along the way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Syaoran Li

**Author's Note:**

> I found myself wondering what happened in the Cardcaptor Sakura canon world around the events of Tsubasa Reservoir Chronical: chapter 217 (pages 6-9). At first, I wrote a jokey fic about it, but it didn't have a real ending, and when I went back to it recently, I found that it had grown out of its container like a strawberry plant. I think this might end up in the Fusenkago universe, and if it does, I'll mark it as part of that series of fics.
> 
> Anyway, this is an AO3 only fic, no promises on how often I will update. This story is all about wishes & consequences. If you have a PG-rated SxS moment wish, comment (that's the price for your wish) and I will write it into the fic at some point!

**☆**

Strands of Sakura’s silky hair fluttered in the breeze off the water. They rose up to tickle Syaoran’s nose, but he wasn’t going to move to brush them aside. Sakura had fallen asleep with the lulling drone of the ferry. At first, her head had rested against his shoulder. As she slipped deeper into sleep, nodding forward with the motion of the ferry, she moved closer against him. Now her cheek pressed against the front of his shirt. No matter how much her hair tickled, he wasn’t going to move.

He wasn’t sure he even could move. He felt too warm but frozen in place at the same time. He was afraid that the other ferry passengers were staring in disapproval. They might think that he was taking advantage of a teenaged girl. They didn’t know that Sakura was his girlfriend -- more than his girlfriend -- she was the only person in the world who really understood him.

Sakura was warm, and her hair smelled like tropical fruit shampoo. He took a deep breath slowly. Tipping his chin down slightly put his nose out of tickling range, but it meant he had to lower his eyelids to protect his eyes from the flicking strands.

Her eyes moved beneath her eyelids. She was having a dream. When her breaths developed a hitch and turned shallow, he thought that the dream might have turned bad. He considered waking her. But if it was a prophetic dream, he might wreck her chance to understand the message.

He didn’t have to decide. The ferry bumped over the wake of larger vessel that had passed ahead through the ferry route, which caused everyone on the ferry to be jolted in their seats. Syaoran hugged Sakura to save her from being thrown against the seats in front of theirs. She woke with the jolt, her breath a small cry that she quickly silenced against his chest. She looked up at him, and he felt his face, so close to hers, flush red.

Sakura quickly looked around her surroundings, the sunshine on the deep water and the bright colors of Hong Kong, and she relaxed in Syaoran’s arms. “I was in a dream,” she said. She straightened in her seat.

When he pulled his arms back to his sides she seem to realize how physically close they had been. Her green eyes met his. In an instant, the troubled expression she wore because of the dream vanished as if she had never worried.

“You always watch over me, Syaoran,” she said. “You don’t need to worry. I’m sure everything will be alright. I think I almost understand the dream. Just a little longer, and I’m sure we’ll find out what it means.”

Sakura was like that. Her optimism was invincible. Syaoran smiled, himself, with a feeling of relief.

She was in Hong Kong while her school had the April break. This year, her big brother was on a trip of his own and unable to chaperone. Yukito was with him. Fujitaka Kinomoto had decided that his daughter was old enough to travel with just one guardian.

Sakura had somehow managed to leave Kero-chan with Meilin today so that she and Syaoran could have a few hours alone before her visit ended. Syaoran knew why Meilin was willing to keep Kero-chan distracted; he had asked her for the favor.

The dreams had started a few days into Sakura’s visit. She hadn’t been sleeping well, which was why she had nodded off on their ferry ride home. They had spent most of the morning investigating the area of the bricked over well where the Madoushi had trapped Sakura and her group years ago. Sakura thought that the dimensional corridor, although sealed, might have something to do with the dreams she had been having. Yelan Li, Syaoran’s mother, had agreed with that possible connection. They hadn’t found any clues. The area had been rebuilt and was now the courtyard of a bank, a large piece of abstract installation art secretly serving to seal the mystical residue of the water sorceress.

Sakura sat thinking, looking out the window toward the nearing ferry dock. “Mm, I don’t think the Sakura in the dream is me,” she said, coming to a conclusion. “Even more, I think the other Sakura isn’t the only other one. They feel different, somehow.”

Syaoran listened without interrupting. Sakura thought best when she could talk out a problem. In that way, they were complete opposites. Being with Sakura, especially because of keeping up their connection over long distance. was making Syaoran better about turning his thoughts into words instead of directly into action. He hoped that process wouldn’t stop. He liked having the words.

“Somehow, I am going to help them,” she said. Her voice was light, but the determination in it was easy to hear.

The ferry began to dock. After looking around the old well area, Syaoran and Sakura had enjoyed a few hours shopping along Bird Street and sightseeing, enjoying each other’s company without interruption. But the afternoon was winding down, and they would need to be home for dinner. His sisters, including the two recently married ones who didn’t live at home anymore, would all be over for a garden party. Sakura was leaving back to Tomoeda in the morning.

“I want to go back with you when you leave tomorrow,” Syaoran said to Sakura. “It’s OK if I miss school for a few days. I don’t want to leave you alone until we find out more about the dreams.”

“But Syaoran! I can’t put you through so much trouble!” Sakura started to color with embarrassment. She hid turned her face down so that her blush was hidden by her hair.

Syaoran put his hand on her chin to coax her eyes up to his. “You’re never trouble,” he said to her quietly. He was still private enough not to like the idea of people around overhearing. “You could ask me for anything. I would go anywhere for you, without needing to be asked.”

“I know,” she said. He thought she sounded brave. “I know I can count on you.”

The other passengers rose to deboard the ferry. Syaoran waited until Sakura appeared ready to stand up. When she checked her bag, a habit she had developed from carrying Kero around, he started to get up. He gave her his hand to help her up, then kept his hold because she squeezed his hand tightly.

Anyone else might have started asking him a barrage of questions on how he planned to travel and where he would stay. They might ask if his mother would voice objections. They might question his taking time off from school. Sakura never second-guessed him. She liked to talk, he knew, because he had seen her and her best friend Tomoyo together, and they chatted like songbirds in the trees.

On the walk back to the house of his family, Sakura continued to be more focused on her thoughts than on her surroundings. Syaoran stayed aware for both of them.

☆

 


	2. Meilin Li

MEILIN LI

 

When Meilin saw Syaoran and Sakura walking hand-in-hand, she smiled for their happiness. She wasn’t the type to hold on to old hurts once she’d had a good cry to get it out of her system. Anyway, she couldn’t be sad, seeing them together. They fit perfectly, and they made each other better. Sakura was more focused and confident. Syaoran showed his cheerfulness and even talked more. Now that they were all teens, Meilin had been able to have some heartfelt conversations with Syaoran that went a long way toward making up for him finding someone he loved more, in that way, than he loved Meilin.

As for Meilin, she hadn’t found anyone yet as princely as her cousin. Weirdly, that was better than if she had found a prince charming.

She washed the rice flour from her hands and untied her apron. Kero-chan looked up from his platter of “tasting samples” when he noticed her leaving the kitchen.

“Hey, where are you going?” he asked around a mouthful of pork bun.

“Syaoran and Sakura are back. Couldn’t you tell?” Meilin asked over her shoulder before she passed through the doorway.

Half a second later, the little Sun Guardian zoomed out and caught up. He then sped on ahead. Meilin exhaled a sigh of relief. A whole day with Keroberos had been a lot to ask.

Since Kero was already interrogating Sakura, Meilin didn’t wait for Syaoran and Sakura to get to the front of the house. She ran up the path to meet them.

“Welcome back,” she greeted. “Did you have a nice time?”

“Thank you. Kero-chan wasn’t too much trouble, was he?” Sakura asked.

Kero crossed his arms while he fluttered beside her. “I’m never trouble!” he insisted.

“I think he left enough food for the party for the rest of us to eat,” Meilin answered. “I’m almost done cooking. Did you eat lunch? If you sit in the garden, I can bring some snacks in a minute.”

Syaoran and Sakura turned to look at each other. “Did we forget to eat?” Syaoran asked Sakura.

“We had almond cookies,” Sakura offered.

“We kind of grazed from the food stalls,” Syaoran said to Meilin. “I don’t think we’ll last until dinner. A snack would be great, Meilin.”

Kero’s expression went soulful with longing. “Food stalls…” he sighed. “How could you…”

Sakura frowned at him. “You spent the whole day eating, Kero-chan,” she scolded.

“Yes he did,” said Meilin. “I’ll just pop inside. Let’s sit in the gazebo.”

“It will be nice in there,” Syaoran agreed.

Meilin ran back inside the Li house. Syaoran’s sisters would help when it was time for the main dinner course and serving of dinner. Meilin had volunteered to make the party plates, appetizers and desserts, that could be made ahead . The kind that weren’t baked or chilled would be steamed or grilled just when everyone arrived. She really was a good cook, regardless of the cake debacle when they were all kids, and she took advantage of the opportunity to prove it again.

It didn’t take her long to put together an assortment of cut fruit, a plate of freshly baked meat buns, and a pitcher of honey milk tea that she knew Sakura liked. It was a lot to carry, so she put the food into a basket, along with cups and a tablecloth.

As soon as Syaoran saw her laden with the basket and pitcher, he ran over to her to give her a hand. She handed him the pitcher. He insisted on taking both, and she ended up walking beside him to the gazebo empty handed. It bothered her, because it felt like some of her glory had been stolen. It was the sort of thing that used to make her angry and confused because she didn’t understand herself well. This time, she was simply quick to unpack the the picnic basket and take back a role of significance.

“Oh! Milk tea,” Sakura noted. “I love it.”

“This is really good, Meilin,” Syaoran said after a bite.

“It really is,” Sakura echoed.

Meilin preened. It was nice to hear appreciation. Voicing his feelings was something Syaoran had gradually begun doing. She had always known and trusted that he appreciated her, but it was different to hear it.

“So what’s going on?” Meilin asked.

“I still don’t know,” Sakura answered shyly.

“It’s not a Clow card, right?” The last time had been a Clow card that no one had known existed.

Sakura shook her head. “I don’t think so. This is different. The dream is trying to tell me something.”

“Do you think it will stop when you go back, tomorrow?”

“I want to know what it means,” Sakura said, “before I stop having the dream.”

Syaoran said, “I’m going with Sakura.”

“Whoa,” Meilin responded. “How did you get Aunt Yelan to let you?”

“I haven’t asked Mother yet,” Syaoran admitted. He put his arms behind his head and flopped backward.

☆

Without telling Syaoran about it, Meilin hatched a plan before dinner. She made a phone call to be sure alert an accomplice. Once everyone was enjoying themselves, with even Yelan Li in a relaxed mood, Meilin put her plan into action. “Aunt Yelan, can I bring anything back from Japan for you?” she asked innocently.

“When are you going to Japan?” Yelan asked, surprised.

“I’m traveling with Sakura,” Meilin explained. “I’m going to stay in Tomoeda for a few days with the Daidouji family.”

“A social visit?”

“An interview. Daidouji Toys will have an internship open this summer in their marketing division, and it’s a strong opportunity. Missing a little school now could help my future.”

Yelan gave Meilin such a look of speculation that she thought her ruse might be too apparent to Syaoran’s mother. “Syaoran will go with you,” Yelan said at last.

It seemed a little too easy, but Meilin seized the opening. “It shouldn’t be any trouble at all,” she said. “We both stayed with Tomoyo on our other visits.”

“Syaoran will report back to me regarding Sakura’s dream. A few days should be enough to monitor its progression. He can return with you when your visit is over.”

“I’ll let him know!” Hopping up, Meilin hurried over to Syaoran before anything could change. Her plan had worked, but she still wasn’t sure it had worked because it was _her_ plan. Regardless, she was going to Tomoeda! The anticipation of seeing Tomoyo again filled her with happiness.

☆


End file.
